A/N: Still not mine.

Big thanks to askthemagic8ball, sncmom, and katinki for correcting my errors, stating what works, what doesn't, and for their general awesomeness. Thanks to several Twitter folk for help with translations, which ended up changing from my original question! :) Also, thanks so much for reading, reviewing, and adding to your alerts. No a/n at the bottom, just a few songs I listen to on loop when writing this.

"Gabriel didn't mention anything, did he?" Jasper said cautiously, releasing Bella's hand.

Bella cleared her throat again and shook her head. "No." She smiled awkwardly.

"That man is impossible."

"Do you know me?" she asked. "I mean why I'm… who are you exactly?" Bella placed her hands firmly on the counter. She wondered, and it angered her, if Dr. Reyes had told a complete stranger that a crazy woman was staying in his home. But then she noticed something familiar about Jasper.

"Gabriel mentioned a friend would be staying here for a little while and asked I pick up a few groceries. He said she, well, you, didn't know the area, so… I did." He shrugged then crossed his arms casually in front of him; the light glinted off a silver band on his ring finger. "I'm Jasper Whitlock-Reyes, Gabriel's husband."

Bella nodded once, though her face gave nothing away, she was somewhat surprised on the inside. She'd just always assumed there was a Mrs. Reyes. "Nice to meet you. I'm Bella Swan, but I guess you knew that already… and I'm not a friend of your husband's."

She wasn't sure why her mouth moved on its own accord, but instead of backpedaling her statement, which could easily have been misconstrued, she said nothing. She did not, however, feel like pretending to be someone she wasn't.

"No?" Jasper asked.

"I was – still am, his patient. If you're uncomfortable with me being here, I'll leave. You have a beautiful home, by the way."

"What? No! Of course, not. If Gabriel wants you to be here, I'm sure he has his reasons. He may be impossible, but I trust his decisions." Jasper shot his thumb over his shoulder, pointing toward the front door. "My car's running. I'll let you get back to whatever you're doing – oh, there are some towels in a storage cabinet by the pool if you want to go for a swim. It's heated, so... make yourself at home. It was nice meeting you, Bella."

She nodded. "You, too, Jasper." She wouldn't be swimming.

"Wait," she said as he turned to leave. "You didn't drive all the way up here just to buy food for me, did you? I mean, don't the two of you live in town?"

He chuckled. "We do, but there's a bed and breakfast about twenty minutes from here. Gabriel… he said you needed some space, and the two of us were planning to stay there when he drives up tomorrow, but I'm staying there tonight."

Bella felt horrible for being the reason this man would not be able to stay in his own home, still, she said nothing. After Jasper left, Bella realized why he looked familiar and walked toward the fireplace. There were pictures of him and Dr. Reyes, and now that she looked closely enough, only one proved they were a couple. It was a reticent shot; they were merely laughing, but it was the way they were looking at each other, their expressions evocatively content.

Fifteen minutes later the house phone rang; Dr. Reyes called to apologize for being so very unforthcoming. Apparently, Jasper had given him a long and exceedingly loud lecture about when it truly is okay to share information with his patients.

"It's fine. He's nice."

"Do you have everything you need? Enough toilet paper?" He laughed.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"I'll be there tomorrow a little after noon, all right?"

"Yes." Please don't speak to me like I'm a child.

"Goodbye, then, Isabella."

"Good night."

/

"Well, where the hell is she, Gabriel? She's not at her apartment, and she was released days ago." Edward sat inside his car, waiting for the traffic light to change to green. He cradled his phone between his ear and shoulder as he stripped his leather gloves from his hands. It was hot, too hot. The temperature annoyed him, and he turned off the heater with a menacing flick.

"Edward, she hasn't mentioned wanting to see you just yet. But she's doing better," Gabriel embellished. "Give her time."

He clenched his eyes shut, leaning forward, resting his head on his arm against the steering wheel. "I'm trying, but fuck… I need to see for myself, you know?"

"I understand, and I know it's hard, but keep doing what you've been doing. Go to work and take care of that little girl of yours. What's going on with that anyway? Things settling down?"

Edward ignored the incessant bellow of the horn behind him for countless seconds. He gestured rudely to the driver before accelerating.

"No, last night, finally, she handed me divorce papers." And a pair of diamond earrings. "She's staying at her mother's and took Senna with her. She only took her out of spite – Gwen doesn't give a fuck about our daughter."

"Edward, I'm sorry," Gabriel offered. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm on my way to my attorney's office now. She can have whatever she wants; I just want this over with."

"And Senna?"

"She'll be fine with Gwen's parents for now. She doesn't know what's going on; at least Gwen said she wouldn't say anything to her, but you know how she is – she's a lying cunt."

"Edward," he warned.

Edward pulled into a parking garage, maneuvering his car into the first available space he saw. He swallowed; his voice was low now, gravelly. "I want to see her."

"I won't be the middle man for the two of you."

"God dammit, Gabriel," he rasped, slamming his hand against the dash. "I'm not asking you to be. I want what's best for her, but Jesus Christ, what if we were talking about Jasper?"

A short stretch of silence passed between them.

"She's staying at my house up north. Do not-"

"I won't. Jesus. How is she?"

"She's fragile. Edward, she won't be able to handle going back to the real world, her real world. She thinks she's stronger than she is, but she's not. Listen, I really can't say any more."

"I know, I know. Just... take care of her, all right?"

"Of course. I'll talk to you soon."

/

Thanksgiving – One week after Bella's arrival

The three of them finished their meal. Leaning back in their chairs, they felt rather stuffed but quite satisfied; Gabriel was an amazing cook. Neither Jasper nor Bella were allowed to do anything but mash potatoes and set the table. The two exchanged smirks and rolled their eyes at each other as Gabriel barked orders at them to not touch the cornbread or baste the turkey.

"What do you do, Jasper?" Bella asked before dinner, both confined to the living room.

He handed her a glass of merlot. "I'm a consultant. I teach corporate upper management how to get the most out of their employees through positive reinforcement," he answered noncommittally. "What about you?"

"Me?" Bella shifted, toed off her shoes and curled her legs underneath her as a derisive response dangled off her tongue. She chose obscurity. "Nothing. Do you like it? What you-"

"¡Mierda! Idiota, idiota," Gabriel yelled from the kitchen, his obscenities followed by a loud clank of metal.

"You okay?" Jasper asked, stifling a chuckle. He leaned toward Bella and whispered, "Looks like the king of the kitchen should've let us help after all."

He winked. She smiled.

"Si! Si," said Gabriel. His irritation was evident.

"Yeah," Jasper answered. "I'm not sure how much I believe my own bullshit anymore, though."

"Why's that?"

"Not everything is always so cut and dry."

She was thoughtful for a moment. Bella looked toward the kitchen then closed her eyes. "Smells good," she said. She looked back at Jasper. "What did he tell you about me?"

"Gabriel? He said you were a beautiful soul and that you and Edward probably loved one another as much as he and I love each other."

She missed him. Her stomach clenched, and she absently pinched the seam of the cushion.

"Do you think I'm a bad person? He's married."

"No, Bella, I don't." Jasper glanced toward the kitchen then back to her. "Gabriel was married when we met. I'm not saying it's okay, I'd kill him if he ever cheated on me." He laughed. "But it's not always that easy."

"He was married?"

"To a woman – how's that for scandal? They have a daughter, Leah, and when his ex-wife, Maria, found us – yes, she found us together – it destroyed her. It was impossible for her to understand, and I imagine how betrayed she felt, but he was never straight. He lied to himself forever. We met and we both knew from the beginning we were supposed to be together." Jasper glanced toward the kitchen. "It's sad, though, Leah refuses to have anything to do with him- he's crazy against infidelity."

"It's a little ironic, isn't it?"

"I guess it is, but he's seen the hurt first hand, saw what it does to family. But in your case… we're back in the gray area; he's committed to Edward, and he likes you. Sometimes you start off with the wrong person."

"He said I remind him of her, his daughter."

"Did he?"

"Apparently, we're both stubborn."

He smiled.

"I won't say anything," she promised.

"Why? He already knows," Jasper teased, nodding toward Gabriel. "Do you think it's fair that he knows everything about you and you nothing about him?"

"But he's my doctor. I'm not supposed to know about his skeletons." She felt warm from the wine she'd been drinking.

"Under ordinary circumstances, I suppose, but this situation isn't very ordinary now is it?"

Gabriel rested his arm on the back of Jasper's chair; Jasper's hand rested on Gabriel's thigh. Bella sat across from them, peering at the couple over the lighted candles in the center of the table – she felt at ease.

"It's silly for the two of you to stay at the B&B," she announced. Bella wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "It's too quiet here."

Today was the first day she'd worn make-up and styled her hair. She'd become too comfortable wearing jogging attire, her hair swept up in a loose bun. Today she felt almost human, and now, after her conversation with Jasper, she felt understood, slightly. Everything else momentarily buried.

Jasper looked toward Gabriel and smiled. "Yeah, okay," he said, answering before Gabriel had a chance. He patted Gabriel's thigh then rose to begin clearing the table.

That night Bella lay in bed, restless, staring at the ceiling. Having Gabriel and Jasper in the same house as her had helped only so much. She counted the slats of the blinds on one of the windows – thirty-two. She glided her hand over her neck, her clavicle and over her breast. She thought about Edward. How long had it been since she'd seen him? A month? It seemed longer – a year, a decade. She wondered if his hair had grown or if he'd gotten it cut, and she touched the tattoo on the back of her neck.

Bella couldn't lie dormant any longer, her skin prickled; it felt as if her feet were being poked by a million pins, and she stretched her legs only to curl them back up again.

She got out of bed then dressed in the clothes she'd worn earlier in the day. Bella wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she wanted to get out of her room regardless of how comfortably it was decorated: plums and azure blues and oddly shaped, matching glass vases.

She closed her bedroom door, thinking she'd go downstairs to find a book in which to become engrossed. Perhaps she'd take a drive. Did it matter she didn't know her way around and would undoubtedly get lost? No, not really. As Bella walked down the hall, she passed Gabriel and Jasper's room. She could hear muffled speech then silence. She then heard soft moans; she stopped and placed her palm then her forehead against the door. For a small moment, Bella listened to the two of them make love, to their sounds of sweet pleasure; an ache emerged deep in her stomach.

Bella didn't remember consciously deciding to go to the pool house, but she was there. She lay on the edge, her body pressed against the cement as she skimmed the flat of her hand along the surface of the water. Bella moved her hand in circles, dipping her fingers every so often, feeling empty save the weight in her chest. Bella didn't want to die today; she wanted to feel him.

Her senses filled with the reminder of Edward as she closed her eyes; the smell of chlorine was strong, wanted. With her hand, Bella scooped up water in vain, wetting her face and nose.

It wasn't enough.

She wanted to sleep with the smell of him on her skin and in her hair; Bella moved closer to the edge, she let her body fall. Weightless and deaf, she closed her eyes and was surrounded by nothing, floating beneath the surface.

It was bliss, almost.

Bella came up for air when her lungs constricted only to go under again. She did this repeatedly, her clothes sodden, her fingers wrinkled.

"Hey," he spoke softly as she came up for air again, kneeling at the edge of the pool. Bella was unaware that Edward had been watching her from the other side of the glass wall for some time. He'd lost his restraint to stay away any longer. He needed her.

Bella stared at him, stunned. She treaded water, trying to determine if he was real or a dream. Her body trembled, her heart raced; he looked exactly the same, but he didn't. She'd never before seen him in casual clothes: jeans and a navy blue sweater, or was it black? It was too hard to tell; her eyes burned from the chlorine.

Edward discarded his shoes, eyeing Bella warily. He was terrified she'd ask him to leave.

She wouldn't.

"I shouldn't be here. You don't want me here," he admitted. "But I can't stay away. Should I go?"

Just barely, she shook her head.

There was a minimal splash when he entered the water, ripples pushing away from him. Both Edward and Bella moved their feet and waved their arms to stay afloat. Edward dipped his chin, wetting his mouth but never taking his eyes off Bella. And she, like a magnet, drifted closer to him. Bella watched the light refract off his green eyes; she noticed he was thinner as he found the same to be of her.

Still, she shivered, too scared to be near him, but even more frightened to be too far away. He could disappear at any moment. Her breath was shaky as he inched nearer.

Edward was close enough to touch her, his restraint vanished completely, but as he reached to touch her face, his hand quivered. He cupped her cheek, and she leaned into his hand. Bella closed her eyes and tears fell; pain flashed across her face. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

Edward kissed her just under her jaw. Pressing his lips to her ear he whispered everything was going to be okay – he made promises he shouldn't have. But to have his voice in her ear, to be surrounded by him, it was okay he made false guarantees. This was all she needed, and she turned her head, her lips meeting his.

"Don't go," she mumbled against his mouth, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Edward held her, treading water to keep them both afloat.

"Okay."

Bella shook her head as Edward lightly kissed her cheeks, forehead, and the lids of her eyes. "No. Don't ever go."

She was absolutely vulnerable, and Edward knew this. She was spun sugar, a sight of complexity and masterful beauty and sweetness on the tongue, yet he feared if he held her too tightly, she'd snap and crumble.

"Are you sure?" he asked, moving them toward the edge of the pool, to where it was shallow.

"Yes." There was tentative conviction in her voice.

With difficulty, Bella removed her saturated sweater then bra, baring herself to Edward. She kissed him again, softly, and together they undressed, allowing their clothes to sink to the bottom. It wasn't a race for either, their actions weren't feverish, but they weren't gentle. Edward explored Bella's body with his hand and mouth, touching her thigh, her backside and between her legs. He tasted her neck, her shoulder, and her breasts. She was hot and cold, and their hearts pounded, blood pulsed in their ears.

She tilted her head back as he licked her neck once more, her thighs grasping his waist, feet tangled around his calves, and her knees rubbed against the tile of the pool. Bella dug her fingers into the back of his neck while gripping the edge with her other hand. She emptied her mind; it was so easy now – because he was here. Bella moved her hand to touch him, stroking and teasing until finally guiding him inside her. A flutter of completeness, a feeling of this is how it's supposed to be, coursed through her body.

She swept her hand through his hair, tugging as though to remind herself he wasn't an illusion. Edward moaned in response, driving himself deeper inside her, his back pressed painfully against the wall of the pool. But the discomfort didn't matter; he'd lie on broken glass to be this close to her again.

"Be my sun," he whispered, almost begging, gripping her hip and her back, his face buried in her neck; she nodded.

Edward nibbled at her ear then kissed wherever his lips would reach; she held him closer. His desire for her, all of her, was dangerously infinite. He was desperate to keep her, covet her. He wanted to belong to her, for her to claim him as her own, but it was so different than before.

Bella shook, pressing her mouth to the top of his head, her eyes screwed shut, her nails digging into the cement. She breathed his name, her voice hoarse, as she came. Bella continued to roll her hips; she kissed his temple then touched his cheek with hers. "Edward," she repeated.

He felt the rise of his orgasm, and he stiffened, releasing and pulsating inside her. "I love you, Bella." His voice was low, nearly inaudible. He questioned his motives, his decision to say these words aloud. She wasn't ready, he knew this, yet, gently, he moved his hands to her face and brushed his thumbs along her cheeks and told her again.

Black by Pearl Jam

Razor by Foo Fighters

Mad World by Gary Jules

Release and Oceans by… Pearl Jam (What can I say? I like PJ & Eddie Vedder. A lot.)

Sigur Ros, or more specifically, the Sigur Ros station on Pandora radio.